Before Fritsch could be considered, voters would have decide to recall Selectman George Archible.
Richard FritschBELCHERTOWN – Richard J. Fritsch, a retired firefighter, had been planning to run for the Board of Selectmen before recall efforts were started against three selectmen and has decided to run for the two years remaining in the term of Selectman George D. Archible, one of the recall targets.
For this contest to be counted, voters would first have to vote in a majority to recall Archible.
If that happens, the rest of his term would be served by whoever wins the contest between Archible, Fritsch and William J. Huber.
Fritsch said he was not involved with the recall petition process beyond signing petitions for it.
The recall drives were started against Archible and Selectmen James A. Barry and Kenneth E. Elstein in response to their original votes against offering a contract renewal package to Police Chief Francis R. Fox Jr., votes that were that were ultimately rescinded.
Fritsch said the selectmen would have been within the bounds of their office to decide against offering a new contract to Fox, but he said it was wrong of these three selectmen to try to replace Fox without telling him what was wrong.
If elected, Fritsch said he wants to look for ways to trim an already tight town budget.
He said he would look for duplication of efforts in the School Department as a first place to come up with budget reductions.
Fritsch said he would focus on trying to attract high-tech businesses to Belchertown.
With a strong school system and with colleges and the University of Massachusetts nearby, Fritsch said the town should make an effort to attract research and development operations from high-tech businesses that deal with communications, data storage and renewable energy.
Fritsch said his style as a selectman would be to ask a lot of questions and do extensive research before making decisions.
Fritsch, 59, was born and raised in Chicopee and moved three years ago to Belchertown, where he has family roots because his grandfather owned a farm in town.
He was a firefighter in the Air Force and for the city of Springfield and Westover Air Reserve Base before retiring three years ago.
Fritsch was on the Chicopee Comprehensive High School Building Commission and has served on the Belchertown Personnel Board but has never run for public office before.
He has been active in Belchertown as a basketball referee and with Boy Scout Troop 507.